Brake device for coin controlled appliance timer



Sept. 4, 1962 s. s. BUDOFSKY BRAKE DEVICE FOR COIN CONTROLLED APPLIANCE TIMER Filed July 7, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

SEYMOUR SBUDOFSKY BY ATTORNEY Sept. 4, 1962 s. s. BUDOFSKY BRAKE DEVICE FOR COIN CONTROLLED APPLIANCE TIMER Filed July '7, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i I I I I I I 1 I 1 I I I l I I I.

1 I I I I I I I l INVENTOR.

SEYMOUR S. BUDOFSKY y M ATTORNEY BRAKE DEVICE FOR COIN CONTROLLED APPLIANCE TIMER Filed July '7, 1959 Sept. 4, 1962 s. s. BUDOFSKY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGJC INVENTOR.

BY Seymour 5. Budof sky MA'I'TORNEY Unite States Patent fifice 3,052,329 Patented Sept. 4, 1962 Filed July 7, 1e59, Ser. No. 825,515 Claims. (31. 188-102) This invention relates to coin controlled electric appliances of the type having cycle timer control shafts rotatable to a cycle starting position by an impulse from a movable coin controlled element and, more particularly, to a novel easily installed brake device for Windmilling timer shafts.

The operation of automatic electric appliances such as washers, driers and the like is under the control of a cycle timer which determines the particular function to be performed during any part of the cycle and also deenergizcs the appliance at the end of the cycle. For coin control of such appliances, the usual manual control knob is removed from the timer shaft and replaced by a cam or a coin clutch driven member enclosed within a housing. This housing is provided with coin carrying means engageable with such cam and movable to start the cycle only upon insertion thereinto of a coin of the proper denomination.

In either case, after a coin is inserted in the mechanism, the slide is manually operable to start the timer. The degree of force with which the control element is operated is dependent upon the will of the customer, and may vary from a gentle turning or pushing action to a forceful snapping to the limit of movement.

With 'most timers, the degree of force applied to the coin control element is immaterial as the timer has sufiicient drag or resistance to movement that it will move only so long as force is applied thereto by the control element and only to a point determined by the effective stroke of the control element, this point being the cycle start position. However, some timers have little or no resistance to manual movement and may windmill under the proper impetus. By windmilling is meant the tendency of the timer shaft, if given a sharp impetus by the control element, to continue moving even after the movement of the control element is arrested. In this case, the initial impetus may move the timer beyond the cycle start position so that the initial portion of the appliance operating cycle is by-passed or omitted and the appliance starts operating at an intermediate portion of its cycle. This is an undesirable condition resulting in customer dissatisfaction and complaints.

This windmilling tendency is particularly characteristic of one line of appliance timers which have control shafts most effectively operated by a coin slide carrying a roller engageable with a cam on the timer shaft. In this case, the timer shaft projects into a box-type housing mounting the coin slide and provided with a locked coin drawer. The housing, which is secured to an outer surface of the appliance, has an angular bracket secured to a side wall by screws having projecting heads, and this bracket rotatably supports a stub shaft having a coupling on its lower end arranged for connection by a coupling shaft to the timer shaft.

The upper end of the stub shaft has an annular collar formed with radial threaded apertures and carrying a projecting pin engageable by a stop finger on the cam which is rotatable in the collar and spring biased to engage its finger with such pin. This cam is engageable by a roller carried by the coin slide, preferably mounted on an extension plate secured to the inner end of the coin slide.

In accordance with the invention, a simple and easily installed variable braking means is provided for such windmilling timer shafts. This means comprises a first or fixed member formed with fingers or hooks engageable with an edge of the angular bracket and retained in place by a spring portion having an aperture which may be snapped over a projecting screw head holding the bracket in position. This first member is easily installed through the usual maintenance access door provided in a side wall of the housing, and has a curved spring finger extending toward the stub shaft.

The braking means also includes a second or movable member in the form of a substantially rigid curved strip having a more sharply curved anchor end partly embraceable with the stub shaft collar and apertured to receive a mounting screw threadable into one of the radial apertures in the collar.

The two members are so oriented that, in the cycle off position of the timer shaft, the free end of the second member is adjacent but spaced from the spring finger of the first member. As the timer shaft is rotated toward the cycle start position, as by actuation by the coin slide, the free end of the second member engages and flexes the spring finger of the first member to impart a load on the timer shaft movement in order to absorb the energy that would normally be used in the free wheeling of the clutch. This contact continues at a substantially constant value until the timer shaft reaches the cycle start position, the energy absorbed being suflicient to prevent windmilling. As the timer shaft starts to rotate under its own timer power, the energy absorbing effect is progressively reduced due to the change in curvature of the second member, and the two members shortly move out of en gagernent. Thus, the load on the timer motor is reduced to normal.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawmg.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, partly broken away, of coin control mechanism embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially broken away top plan view, with a part in section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1, of the mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the fixed brake member;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the movable brake member; and

FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C are views, similar to FIG. 2 and taken in the same plane as FIG. 2, showing the positions of the parts when the roller initially engages the cam, when the roller has just passed the timer shaft, and when the roller has reached its inner limit of movement.

Referring to the drawings, a coin control mechanism embodying the invention is illustrated as enclosed within a housing 10' having a conforming security fit on the upper surface 41 of an appliance, such as an automatic clothes washer, having a timer provided With a control shaft 40. Housing 10 is generally rectangular box shaped, and includes a front wall 11, side walls 12, 13, a rear wall 14 and a top wall 16. A coin slide assembly, generally indicated at 15, is mounted through front wall 11 and includes a coin slide 20 having a coin receiving aperture 21. Just below assembly 15, partitions such as 18 define a coin chamber having a coin drawer (not shown) locked therein in the usual manner. When a coin is placed in aperture 21 and slide 20 is pushed in, the coin drops into such coin drawer from which accumulated coins are collected at intervals by a service man.

Coin slide 20 has a plate 22 secured to its inner end and carrying a timer shaft operator, such as a depending rotatable roller 25. The timer shaft operating mechanism is mounted on an angular bracket 23 including a short upright wall 24 secured to housing wall 13 by screws 26 having projecting heads. Bracket 23 has a horizontal wall 27 and a vertical end wall 28 terminating short of wall 24.

Horizontal wall 27 rotatably supports a stub shaft 31 on which is rotatably mounted the hub of a cam having an arcuate wall 30 engageable by roller 25. Beneath cam 39, a collar 35 is secured to shaft 31 and has radial threaded apertures 35A therein. A coil spring 32 embracing shaft 31 is connected to cam 30 and collar 35 and biases cam 30 clockwise (as viewed in FIG. 2) until a depending finger 139A on cam 30 engages a radial pin 353 on collar 35. Spring 32 permits turning of shaft 31 if cam 30 is obstructed.

Beneath wall 27, a coupling 33 secured to shaft 31 connects this shaft to a short shaft 34 coupled to timer shaft 40. Access to the cam 30 is provided by an access opening 36 in wall 12 normally closed by a flush panel which is removable only by a service man.

In normal operation, when coin slide 20 is pushed in, roller 25 engages cam 30 and, rolling therealong, rotates the cam and shaft 31 clockwise (FIG. 2). This turns timer shaft 40 to the cycle start position in which the timer is energized to rotate its shaft 40 through the operating cycle to return cam 36, in the cycle completed position, into alignment with roller 25.

Should a service man inspecting the mechanism determine that shaft 49 is too easily rotated in the cycle start direction, and thus subject to windmilling, he can readily correct this condition by installing the two brake members. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the fixed brake member 50 comprises a curved piece of spring metal having a main body portion formed with an aperture "52 slightly larger than the heads of screws 26. A narrow brake finger 55 projects from the body portion, and the resultant shoulder is formed with hook fingers 53. The body portion has a notch 54 in its lower edge defining a flap 56 bent slightly out of the general plane of the body portion.

Member 50 is very easily installed. The service man simply places the body portion against bracket rear wall 24 with hook fingers 53 engaging over the rear edge of racket wall 28. He then uses a screw driver or the like to force the body portion in the direction of wall 28 until aperture 52 snaps over the head of the screw 26 nearest wall 28. Member 56 is thus firmly wedged in gisition, with curved finger S projecting toward shaft The movable brake member 60, best shown in FIG. 6, comprises a metal finger having a variable curvature. The fixed end of member 6t) is curved to the radius of collar 35 and has an aperture 61 therein. Beyond aperture 61, member 60 has a flatter curvature, as at 62, and a circular curved free end 65 concentric with shaft 31, when member 60 is mounted on collar 35. Member 60 is readily and easily secured to collar 35 by a screw 63 inserted through aperture 61 and threaded into a radial aperture in the collar.

In the first engagement position, members 56 and 6t) occupy the positions of FIGS. 1, 2 and 7A, with FIG. 2 showing the slide retracted and FIG. 7A showing the slide pushed in to engage roller with cam 30. As cam is rotated clockwise, as viewed in FIG. 2, by roller 25 on coin slide 20, member 60 engages and flexes finger 55 with "a substantially constant pressure. When roller 25 and cam 30 reach the position of FIG. 7B, the roller 25 has imparted all of its movement to cam 30. The slide 25 moves further in until roller 25 reaches the position of FIG. 7C, but the roller imparts no further movement to cam 30, which has now rotated the timer shaft to the cycle start position. As the timer shaft reaches the cycle start position, and passes slightly therebeyond under the driving action of the timer motor, portion 62 of member 60 engages finger 55. Due to the relatively fiat curvature of portion 62, the pressure on finger 55 is greatly reduced and, after a short further rotation of the timer shaft, member 60 disengages finger 55 so that the timer rotates freely without the drag imposed by members 5d and 6%.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in coin controlled appliances of the type having a timer shaft moved to a cycle start position by a manually actuated coin controlled element: brakes means absorbing the energy imparted to the timer shaft, during movement by such element, comprising, in combination, a brake member rotatable with the timer shaft and having a free leading arcuate end portion curved about the axis of rotation of said member and spaced substantially from such axis and an intermediate portion in series with said free end portion and sloping radially inwardly from the trailing end of the latter, said arcuate end portion extending through substantially the angle of movement of the timer shaft between the cycle off and cycle start positions thereof; and a relatively fixed member having a spring finger extending toward said brake member and engaging and flexed by such free end portion during movement of the timer shaft from the cycle off to the cycle start position and of such orientation and length as to be spaced from said intermediate portion during further rotation of the timer shaft; said brake member having a trailing end disengageably secured to a rotatable stub shaft coupled to the timer shaft; and said fixed member being disengageably anchored to a bracket rotatably mounting said stub shaft.

2. Brake means as claimed in claim 1 in which said brake member is in the general form of an incomplete spiral strip.

3. Brake means as claimed in claim 1 in which said fixed member is of spring metal and has a snap interlocking fit on said bracket.

4. Brake means as claimed in claim 3 in which said bracket includes a pair of walls parallel to said stub shaft, normal to each other, and spaced from each other at their ad'acent corner edges, one of said walls being a mounting wall for the bracket and secured to a mounting surface by screws having projecting heads; said fixed member being bent and having hook means projecting from a shoulder formed at the junction of said spring finger and engaged over the corner edge of the other wall; the portion of said member engaging said one wall being formed with an aperture having a snap fit over a screw head.

5. Brake means as claimed in claim 1 in which said stub shaft carries a collar having radial threaded apertures; the trailing end of said brake member being apertured to receive a securing screw threaded into one of said radial apertures.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 44,909 Zukerman Nov. 1, 1864 1,331,537 Soulis Feb. 24, 1920 2,233,154 Welk Feb. 25, 1941 2,947,186 Greenwald Aug. 2, 1960 

